This year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Considering the status of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Democratic Union Movement in Korean labor politics, it is very impor...
This year 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Considering the status of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Democratic Union Movement in Korean labor politics, it is very important to organize and critically evaluate its history. The study evaluates that the democratic union movement is now in a serious structural crisis. The structural background was the transition to a neoliberal system. Specifically, the structural segmentation of the neoliberal labor market, the collapse of progressive politics, the defection and inclusion of activists, the loss of political independence, social dialogue, and the transition of the state’s labour control strategy were major factors. The democratic union movement will not disappear immediately, but its future is very uncertain.